MLB Rumors: Yankees-Blake Snell bummer, Braves-Acuña outlook, Cardinals swooping in?

MLB Rumors: Braves outlook, options with Ronald Acuña Jr. injury

The Atlanta Braves received some scary Spring Training news with reigning NL MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. being scratched from Friday's lineup with knee soreness. That was seen as minor news at the time, but we came to find out on Saturday that Acuña's knee injury might be more severe than we thought, as he is dealing with irritation in his right meniscus.

The Braves still expect their star outfielder to be in the lineup on Opening Day, but whether that will actually happen remains to be seen. If there is a positive takeaway that comes from this injury, it's that it occurred early in Spring Training giving the Braves time to look at other options internally and potentially externally as well.

Alex Anthopoulos has done a nice job building depth. Acuña, Michael Harris II, and Jarred Kelenic are expected to be in the outfield just about every day when healthy, but Brian Snitker has other options to turn to.

Options on the 40-man roster include guys like Forrest Wall who has had a big spring thus far and J.P. Martinez, an outfielder acquired in a trade with the Rangers in January. Off the 40-man, Atlanta has veterans Jordan Luplow and Eli White who are capable of stepping in when necessary.

If the Braves decide to explore external options, there are some really solid players to consider. Former Braves Adam Duvall and Eddie Rosario immediately stick out as options for Anthopoulos to sign for cheap. Other free agents include Tommy Pham and Michael A. Taylor, both of whom are familiar with the NL East from their time with the Mets and Nationals respectively.

The Braves would be better off signing a free agent to give themselves additional depth, but also should have enough firepower to survive without Acuña for a little bit of the regular season.